Background
BMW 1 Series Convertible (E88) was the open-top version of the first-generation BMW 1 Series and brought a compact four-seat rear-wheel-drive convertible into the brand’s model range. The car reached the market in 2008 and belonged to the same model family as the E87 five-door hatchback, the E81 three-door hatchback and the BMW 1 Series Coupé (E82). Technically and visually, the E88 was most closely related to the Coupé, but its electrically operated soft top gave it a distinctly different character centred on open-air driving. At the same time, the key qualities of the first-generation 1 Series remained intact – a longitudinally mounted engine, rear-wheel drive, compact dimensions and a driver-focused character.
Design and concept
The BMW 1 Series Convertible retained the classic BMW proportions of the E82 Coupé: a relatively long bonnet, short overhangs and a passenger compartment positioned visually towards the rear. Instead of a folding metal hardtop, BMW chose a traditional fabric soft top, which helped preserve the car’s low and elegant silhouette while avoiding the additional weight of a complex retractable hardtop mechanism. The electrohydraulically operated roof opened or closed in approximately 22 seconds and could also be operated at low speeds. When folded, the roof mechanism remained relatively compact, helping the car retain the classic proportions of a convertible. The four-seat interior and separate luggage compartment also made the E88 a practical car that could be used for much more than occasional summer driving.
Technology and engine range
Depending on market and production year, the BMW 1 Series Convertible was offered with a range of four- and six-cylinder petrol and diesel engines. The range extended from more economical four-cylinder versions to powerful six-cylinder models, allowing the same E88 body to serve either as a compact everyday convertible or as a much more performance-oriented open-top BMW. Both manual and automatic transmissions were available, while the entire model family retained the rear-wheel-drive layout characteristic of the first-generation 1 Series. This rear-wheel-drive configuration distinguished the E88 from many smaller convertibles of its era, which were typically based on front-wheel-drive compact cars.
Chassis and driving character
The E88 used the same basic technical architecture as the rest of the first-generation BMW 1 Series. The longitudinally mounted engine and rear-wheel drive allowed BMW to maintain balanced weight distribution and leave the front wheels primarily responsible for steering. Because of its open body, the Convertible required additional structural reinforcement compared with the Coupé, making it somewhat heavier, but BMW continued to place strong emphasis on precise steering feel and sporting chassis tuning. The result was a convertible that combined open-top driving with the classic BMW handling characteristics and a clearly driver-oriented nature.
Open-air driving and everyday usability
The BMW 1 Series Convertible was designed as a four-seat car and combined open-air motoring with everyday usability. The fabric roof preserved a classic convertible appearance even when closed, while the electric mechanism made operation simple and convenient. Because of the open body structure, BMW also paid particular attention to safety: automatically deploying rollover protection bars were positioned behind the rear seats and extended rapidly when required. A usable luggage compartment, rear seats and relatively compact exterior dimensions made the E88 suitable for both everyday urban use and longer journeys.
Within the 1 Series model family
The E88 helped turn the first-generation BMW 1 Series into a highly versatile model family. While the E87 and E81 offered practical hatchback bodies, the E82 provided a classic two-door Coupé and the later 1 Series M Coupé represented the most sporting interpretation of the range, the E88 added open-top motoring and a more lifestyle-oriented character. All of these models, however, shared the same basic philosophy: a compact BMW with a longitudinally mounted front engine and power sent to the rear wheels. This made the first-generation 1 Series relatively unusual in the premium compact segment of its time.
Production
The BMW 1 Series Convertible E88 was produced at BMW Group Plant Leipzig in Germany. BMW factory production data lists the E88 production period as 2007–2013, although the model reached customers in 2008. The E88 was built in Leipzig for the global market, with a total of 131,664 cars produced. Production ended in 2013, and under BMW’s revised model naming system the same compact convertible concept was continued by the BMW 2 Series Convertible (F23). As a result, the E88 remained the only open-top model to carry the official BMW 1 Series name.
Significance in BMW history
The significance of the BMW 1 Series Convertible E88 lies in the way it extended BMW’s compact rear-wheel-drive model family into the open-top segment. The model combined the practicality of a four-seat convertible with the classic BMW technical layout at a time when such a combination was relatively rare in the market. The E88 also belonged to an era when the entire BMW 1 Series still followed the traditional concept of a longitudinal engine and rear-wheel drive. Its direct successor carried the 2 Series name, making the E88 distinctive in BMW model history as the first and only BMW 1 Series Convertible.
Model in the collection
The model in my collection was produced by Minichamps and represents a 2008 BMW 1 Series Convertible (E88). It is a promotional model produced for BMW’s official dealer network.
Technical data in brief
Production period: 2007–2013
Market launch: 2008
Place of production: BMW Group Plant Leipzig, Germany
Body style: two-door four-seat Convertible
Roof: electrohydraulically operated fabric soft top
Roof opening and closing time: approximately 22 s
Drivetrain: rear-wheel drive
Engines: four- and six-cylinder petrol and diesel engines
Gearboxes: manual or automatic, depending on version
Production number: 131,664 cars
Successor: BMW 2 Series Convertible (F23)
Special feature: the first and only Convertible to carry the BMW 1 Series name, combining a compact four-seat open body with the classic BMW rear-wheel-drive layout
Photo of the real car. Source: autoevolution.com